Really Cool 1989 Honda RC30 available in Australia

The Honda VFR750R - but most often referred to as the RC30 - was created for the key purpose of going racing. Building just few enough street bikes to meet homologation rules, this particular model was a dominant race bike in the day and continues to dominate the wish lists, Christmas lists and bucket lists of enthusiasts everywhere. As a result, the RC30 has remained strong in the pricing department as well. This bike is located in Australia - and looks to be in terrific shape. Enjoy the pictures!

28 Comments

Sixthgear

March 27, 2014 12:08:20 pm

Warning: if you’re bored or annoyed by “nitpicking” and little changes called out on a bike, pass this commentary by. If, on the other hand, you believe ultimate value on a machine like this depends on correctness and originality in the details, and you want to learn a little about RC30s, please read on. At first glance, this example looks really fantastic and perfect. It presents very, very well. But as I inspected the larger pics, I found numerous things that caused me to want to know more about the history. And why no pics with the bodywork off so we can see the complete bike? Is the tool kit there (original and complete ones sell for around $500)? What about the factory rear wheel stand that came in the crate? This is what I noticed and my questions:
1.) Has the upper fairing been repainted? I only ask because the two tiny vertical holes on the right side (behind the turn signal) that retain the rubber flap that protects the radiator hose from rubbing, are missing. The other clue is the aftermarket windscreen, held on with incorrect expanding plastic push pins. Should be retained by black aluminum rivets with one way washers on the inside.
2.) gas tank vent black hose is aftermarket- should be red hose with little retaining clips.
3.) front brake perch fasteners are incorrect, should be 8mm hex bolts, same as clutch perch.
4.) left mirror is missing one of the two required attachment black acorn nut fasteners.
5.) tail section seat pad has been reupholstered, and incorrectly- stitching is in wrong place.
6.) aftermarket rear turn signals, but fronts are stock.
7.) 4 foot control bracket fasteners are incorrect socket heads, should be 12mm shouldered hex bolts. Foot guards highly polished, were not originally.
8.) non-original safety wiring on rear sprocket, and wiring incorrectly done on the 46mm axle hub nut. These were originally factory safety wired, but these two areas have been re-done sloppily.
9.) Aftermarket brake lines- acceptable mod due to age and safety. Fine, but rubber rear and stainless fronts.
As I said, it’s all details. But when talking about a $25-$30K bike, I make no apologies for pointing out what I see. Perhaps Mr.RC30Freak will chime in on things I have missed that he sees. But there’s enough here based on my past and present ownership and restoration that I would really want to see this in person, and look closely underneath the bodywork. The written description is lacking much information and enough background to inspire confidence.

Frank

March 27, 2014 12:35:29 pm

Everyone think’s “their” RC 30 is the true and correct one….maybe they are all a little different depending on the market. I question your expertise here.

Sixthgear

March 27, 2014 1:02:31 pm

Frank-
Well, there certainly are differences between different market versions- I agree with you. I’ve owned 2 USA models, a Canadian, and a German RC30 and there definitely are differences. The early Japanese market RC30’s (1987/88) have many noticeable differences as well: mirrors, turn signals, switchgear, headlights, upper fairing, graphics, cams/carbs/ecu, more. Let’s just say I have zero expertise or experience as you assert. OK, fine. But you cannot argue that the things I’ve pointed out here are incorrect and non factory original for ALL market RC30s. A quick look at any online parts fiche will confirm that, and I challenge you and your expertise to prove me wrong. I await your response and am always willing to learn something new about these bikes.

I’ve in the market for a nice RC30 (Canadian or US) and would like your thoughts on any prospects I run across.

Cheers

The collector

March 27, 2014 2:31:55 pm

FYI, Australian delivered full versions(which were full power) had small headlights.

Mark

March 27, 2014 4:42:58 pm

Nice summary Sixthgear.

Hwood851

March 27, 2014 4:55:10 pm

Although, I do believe the two holes behind the right signal light are only on US RC30 models with red Honda wings

Cheers

dukatikid

March 27, 2014 6:59:58 pm

Yes,yes one should avoid this particular example like the plague,the glaring shortcomings of this example are far too much for a discerning erstwhile collector to bear,just imagine if if his cashed-up, pipe-smoking,industrial oligarchy associates came around for the monthly meeting of the brotherhood and saw THAT imposter languishing in the drawing room like some unloved stray!! I’m sure expulsion from the fraternity and banishment to the REAL world would be immediate.
Meanwhile back on planet earth(where the majority of us reside) try wandering over to this side of the planet and find a “oem perfect” example,two words:good luck,you’ll need it!
Currently 3 examples for sale on Bikesales Australia, $25000,$3000 & $35000 respectively,all in various states of originality.
If you can find one for less than 20 grand you best grab it ,you won’t see another.
OR you can wait patiently (like I did ) and come across an ex-Australian superbike with a sprinkling of factory bits and a whole lot of ingenuity ,127 rwhp, for a measly $12000.
What do i do with it? I ride it! Nothing more haunting and guareented to put a smile on ya dial and a song in ya heart than listening to those motors build from 7000 to 11500.
Not everyone buys a masterpiece to stare at it and show their mates.

RC30FREAK

March 27, 2014 8:21:00 pm

Sixth , you never cease to amaze me ! I am sleepy now and though it was pretty clean , but I have to hand I to you , you called em’ as you see them ! If I was going to purchase a used bike I would want you to be coming with me . You have a great eye for detail .
Frank , Sixth knows his stuff unquestionably . Better put your money where your mouth is here if you are going to challenge him ! And I have had 5 of them over the years , so I basically know what I am talking about too .

Hwood851

March 27, 2014 8:45:28 pm

Ok…..maybe going a little too far but the rivets under the front fender fasteners are painted over in white. They should not be. The should be unfinished.

This is a very nice bike.

As we don’t know what the take home price is, it’s hard to know where to stop being so picky! Lol

That being said…..I sure want to get one!

Cheers

SR88

March 28, 2014 10:10:14 am

I always read Sixthgear’s comments as they are very interesting and enlightening. Sixthgear, what is your history as you know your stuff ? For awhile I guessed you were into motorcycle journalism at one time.

Sixthgear

March 28, 2014 11:03:04 am

Hwood851: good catch, you’re correct- those fender rivets are not supposed to be painted white. A small detail, but yet it calls out a repaint. It’s the little things like this this make you dig a little deeper and try to figure out what you’re dealing with here. Is this a street RC30 that was damaged and fixed up? An ex-race bike? The seller isn’t telling, so it’s up to buyers to investigate and evaluate the value based on the history and condition.
I’m seeing more things now, as well. While I have yet to own or work on an Australian example, I see they have an unusual sidestand that other markets do not. Notice the wire cage welded for easy retraction? USA versions have the typical Honda self-retracting rubber tab type. I see HRC decals on the front wheel- is it just a personal thing, or was a HRC magnesium wheel used and painted white? Stock RC30 front wheels are an odd 3.25″ width, many owners changed to 3.5″ wheels. I suspect it’s just a decal.
I notice some black tie wraps on the left upper fork tube that weren’t done originally- why?
Yes, I have been retained before to inspect RC30’s for prospective buyers. You would not believe some of the undisclosed damage that I’ve found underneath bodywork. Damage expensive enough to fix that is causes the buying price to be immediately negotiated significantly downward. And that’s my point here, gentlemen. If the seller doesn’t disclose in pictures or words the total story on an expensive sportbike, you’d damned well better find out in person before committing. There’s nothing worse than buying a bike sight unseen, and finding huge surprises and disappointments after the fact. Due to the nature of this model, it’s easy to get burned in many ways.
The RC30 owner’s world is a pretty tight community, and I’ve met top notch people through it. But I certainly don’t know everything there is to know about them and always want to learn more. My advice is to e patient, be “picky”, look very closely, ask lots of questions, and take the time to find the right example. They’re truly excellent machines, and worth the effort.

Sixthgear

March 28, 2014 11:21:32 am

Quick correction- the stock front wheel size is 3.00″ X 17″, not 3.25″. RC30 wheels are oddly sized, and commonly changed to use modern rubber (stock rear is 5.5″X18″).

RC30FREAK

March 28, 2014 3:53:31 pm

Once again I agree with Sixth . You cannot rush an expensive purchase such as an RC30 . I too have bought bikes and wound up finding some fun things lurking underneath the bodywork . Luckily most of them were much less expensive than even RC30s back in the day .
When I did my first RC30 I did it right . I did get some of it professionally repainted but it was done correctly . I also removed many parts and cleaned them with a toothbrush before reassembling . And when I replaced the OEM windscreen that some Frenchman had painted black on the inside (seriously !) as it was scratched outside . I ordered a brand new GE OEM windscreen at $457 ….luckily the dealer gave me cost on it which was still $310 . Ordered the correct speed nuts and trim too . Luckily the OEM toolkit was all there intact . All that to say if you are going to do it , do it right ! Sixth is right too about the RC community being a very tight nit community too . It should be food for thought to a perspective seller wishing to get top dollar out of his RC30 or any other expensive bike for that matter .

Joel

March 29, 2014 10:21:31 am

Well, while I have not owned an RC30 for a few years now, mine was far from stock, I believe there are a few discrepancies noted above. My interest and memory have faded from these bikes so I may be wrong. Anyway, I am fairly sure that the USA bikes had 17×3.0 in front wheels. I bought Marvics so I could run a 3.5″ front tire. The other bit of data that might be wrong is that I seem to recall only the Japanese model having the small front headlights. The ones shown I believe to be correct. The poor Swiss got saddled with a single square headlight and tops my list for the ugliest headlight of all time. 🙂

My bike had period correct ohlins forks and shock, ISR triples and brakes front and rear, flat slide carbs, deep sump, and other bits. I recorded 121 rear wheel horsepower and it was way more fun than the stock bike had been. While they are nice bikes, I have ridden many that are much better and much more fun. But, to each their own and if you want to spend $30k on one, more power to you. Nostalgia is a powerful thing and I fully endorse the collector market.

Cheers,

Joel

hwood851

March 29, 2014 1:00:42 pm

Question to Sixthgear and RC30FREAK: Why do some have the Red Wings on the tank with VFR750R on the seat? I thought only the US models (RC30 on seat) had the Red Wings.

Cheers

RC30FREAK

March 29, 2014 4:32:32 pm

hwood851 ,
I will try to give it my best shot and Sixth may feel free to chime in and add if he would like too . As far as I know the US only models had Red wings on the tank and said RC30 on the tail section . The rest of the world models from what I have known have all had the yellow wing with the tail saying : VFR750R . I actually redid a former race bike and decided (though maybe considered a faux pas now…) to use the US tail decal and ordered myself two . So I put the RC30 decal on the tail after I had all my bodywork repainted . I liked it because I didn’t have to explain to people that a VFR750R was actually an RC30 . If anyone else has something positive to add please do so .

RC30FREAK

March 29, 2014 4:34:42 pm

hwood851 ,

Sorry I forgot to add the obvious that maybe they did the opposite of what I did and put a world market decal on the tail hence having VFR750R on a US model RC30 . Sleepy and hungry does that to one ! 🙂

The collector

March 29, 2014 5:30:53 pm

As far as I knew all VFR-750R-K models (The last of them from 1989) had red Honda wings, the last of them were sold in Canada.

Hwood851

March 29, 2014 7:12:28 pm

Hmmmm……maybe that’s it.

The final few hundred (including the 300 US) had the Red wings. Only, the US models had the RC30 on the seat and the rest had VFR750R on them.

I believe the last 100 units were sold in the U.K. (maybe that includes Canada).

That’s about the best I can extrapolate.

There is a 0 mileage in the U.K. for sale on eBay. It has the Red wing and VFR750R on the seat. Plus, I have seen many others.

Thanks for the clarity.

Hwood851

March 29, 2014 7:18:26 pm

Maybe those are the L models?

I think I read there were 316 units for US.

Cheers

Rick repressi

March 30, 2014 3:59:53 am

You guys really know your stuff and I’m very glad to be reading your posts and breakdown of advertised bikes. We are very fortunate to have guys you like give us all pointers and help us know what to look for. I’ve noticed over the last few months peoe are giving fried when someone breaks down a bike or an add however that’s part of what this forum is about. Keep up the good work gents. I personally wouldn’t know a 10th of what you guys do.

Oz RC30

April 02, 2014 2:00:27 am

Guys,this is not an Australian delivered RC30.It’s an imported bike.There are many details that are not correct on this bike,assuming that you are a collector looking for originality.All three bikes available on the advertised market,as pointed out by DUKATIKID,are imported models.It is extremely hard to find an original Australian delivered bike in stock,OEM condition.

[…] posted a great looking RC30 in Australia just a few weeks ago, and while there is no question it's a solid bike, there were lots of notable […]

Belloz

April 22, 2014 5:35:52 am

I know this bike is not 100% original but it is one of the better RC30 on the market and I would say the best one for sale at the moment in Australia.
We pay a lot for our bikes in OZ and to find a clean RC30 is very rear.
I don’t know of too many 25 year old bikes that have not had some repairs done.
Yes it,s most likely been re-sprayed but I think as long as its a good job I can live with that rather than an original paint work that is marked.
I know what six gear is pointing out is correct but unless some one is willing to pay $35k upwards in Australia for a 100% genuine RC30 this one looks very clean , it is what you have to pay to get a nice RC30 in OZ.

Belloz

April 22, 2014 1:22:01 pm

I know this bike is not 100% original but it is one of the better RC30 on the market and I would say the best one for sale at the moment in Australia.
We pay a lot for our bikes in OZ and to find a clean RC30 is very rare.
I don’t know of too many 25 year old bikes that have not had some repairs done.
Yes it,s most likely been re-sprayed but I think as long as its a good job I can live with that rather than an original paint work that is marked.
I know what six gear is pointing out is correct but unless some one is willing to pay $35k upwards in Australia for a 100% genuine RC30 this one looks very clean , it is what you have to pay to get a nice RC30 in OZ.

Belloz

April 22, 2014 1:29:34 pm

Went to edit my post to correct something but all I did was re post , “sorry”

Belloz

April 26, 2014 5:18:02 am

I had a look at this bike yesterday and it is a very clean one.
I had one back in 1988 and have been looking at getting another one for some time now.
Yes a few things are not original and it looks like it may have been in a small accident, I would say just slid up the road and repaired. I could not see any signs of it being a ex race bike.
I don’t think the owner has done the repair I think it was like that when he got it.
I would say that the repair job is as good as any , the bike sounds good, no smoke and everything is straight and the small things that are not genuine would be easy to change if it bothered me later.
After looking at about four or five over the last six months this bike is defiantly the best one I have seen.
With genuine RC30 just about imposable to get in Australia and if you can find one they are the Jap low HP model or they are asking way over the price of this one.
I had a look at a genuine one about two months ago and it may have been genuine but it was no were near as nice as this one.

I have someone coming to look at buying my car next week so If I sell it and its still available I am going to have another look and go from there.

After reading Sixth gear post I was having second thoughts but I am glad I went and had a look.

FB Like Box

Archives

Archives

Disclaimer

We re-post public classified advertisements. As a practice we rehost images and ad copy to preserve the listing for future reference. If you would like additional attribution for your work, or wish to remove your listing from our site, we are happy to accommodate. Please email me at dan@motoringblogs.com

Small Print

No claims, warranties, or guarantees are implied by www.raresportbikesforsale.com for items displayed at this site or any site referred to from this site. Pricing, availability, and circumstances pertaining to displayed materials are the sole liability of the individual seller. www.raresportbikesforsale.com claims no accuracy to advertisements made herein.

E-Commerce Content is independent of editorial content and we may receive compensation in connection with your purchase of products via links on this page.